The present invention relates to a method for correcting flesh color by automatically making corrective changes in the flesh or skin color tone on a television receiver and to an apparatus for correcting flesh color using the above-mentioned method.
As a conventional flesh color correcting apparatus, as indicated in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-42691, an automatic hue correction apparatus for correcting a certain range of colors on a predetermined demodulation axis as flesh color correction is proposed. Next, the above automatic hue correction apparatus will be explained with reference to FIG. 9.
Assuming that R-Y, G-Y, and B-Y color-difference signals output from a demodulator 201 shown in FIG. 9 are SR, SG, and SB, SR and SB are supplied to the first combiner and second combiner, and the first combiner outputs a Q signal, and the second combiner outputs an I signal, Q+Q1 signal, and Q-Q1 signal. The I signal, Q+Q1 signal, and Q-Q1 signal are supplied to a first controller 207 and a second controller 208 together with a Vref (reference) signal at a terminal 7 so as to control a switch 211 mounted between a hue adjuster 204 and an averaging circuit 210. The Q signal is amplified by an amplifier 209, supplied to the averaging circuit 210 as an adjusting signal, and smoothed and supplied to the hue adjuster 204 as an averaged adjusting signal.
Phase shifters 202 and 203 are synchronized with a burst signal and output continuous waves (reference carrier waves for demodulation) which are controlled by the hue adjuster 204. The demodulator 201 receives the waves and outputs the demodulated color-difference signals R-Y, G-Y, and B-Y. When the demodulated signals are within the correction range which is set by the Vref signal, the switch 211 is closed, and the averaged adjusting signal is supplied to the hue adjuster 204, and the phases of the continuous waves are changed, and the colors within the correction range are corrected to desired colors.
Since the above prior art detects and corrects only the flesh color hue, the hues neighboring the flesh color hue are shifted in color reproduction in the I-axis direction. Therefore, for example, magenta, red, and yellow are changed to pink, reddish-orange, and yellowish-orange, respectively, and the color reproducibility is degraded.